Foam producing apparatus



March 19, 1935. J MEHLSEN r A 1,995,215

FOAM PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 21, 1935 FIG. 1.

JKMehIser; "rJZLCJVielsen In van-boy Patented Mar. 19, 1935 "PATENT 1,095,215 roam raonucme mmrus Jens Karl Mehlsen and Adser Christian Nielsen,

Copenhagen, Denmark Application September 21, 1933, Serial No.

In Denmark October 15, 1932 4 Claims. (Cl. 299-83) or cavity 2 and small openings 3 leading from the The present invention relates to a foam producing apparatus which essentially consists of a small cap or magazinehaving a tube for the supply of air from a pump, a bulb, a pressure air tank or the like to an inner chamber or cavity in the small cap. From this chamber one or more small openings lead out through its walls. The said openings may be fiared out intheir outer end, for example in the form of a cup.

When a small perforated end or cap portion of the tube is immersed into a foam producing material small quantities of the said material may be forced into the outer ends of. the perforations. When air under pressure is now pumped into the cap the said air will flow out through the small openings thereby blowing air into the material, forming the same into bubbles, which owing to their lowspecific weight in a cohesive mass will rise to the surface of the material as finely divided foam. Thus by immersing the cap in soapy water a finely lashed foam of soap may be produced well adapted for washing small articles of clothing or other laundry. In this manner a very desirable foam may be produced from cream or other materials. The cap with appertaining air supply tube may be immersed into containers of different form.

The inlet of the air supply tube in the cap is preferably quite narrow and of course the tube is provided with a valve, not shown, which only opens inwardly so that air may be accumulated in the chamber of the cap for the production of foam after the pumping has been stopped.

The small cap may for instance be suspended by the air supply tube in a rising pipe extending down into the material to be foamed and through the said pipe the foam may then rise to a receptacle or cup having a pouring spout.

Some constructional forms of an apparatus ac- 40 cording to the invention are shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a foam producing apparatus according to the invention in side elevation and partly in section,

' Fig. 2 a side elevation partly in section of a modification enclosed in a bottle and provided with rising pipe and top member,

Fig. 3a side elevation partly in section of another modification with a receptacle arranged 50 above a glass, and

Fig. 4 a side elevation of still another modification for mounting on a wall and arranged to receive a glass or a bottle.

The foam producing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a small cap 1 with an inner chamber said chamber to the OFFICE outer surface of the cap.

In their outer ends the said openings 3 are flared out in the form of cups 4. Onto or into the cap 1 is threaded a fitting 5 of a tube 6 the other end 5 of which is connected through a hose 7 to a bulb 8 by means of which and the usual valve, not

shown, air may be through the hose pumped into the chamber 2 '7 and the tube 6. This air may then fiowout through the openings 3. If

the cap 1 is immersed material some of this material the cups 4 of the openings 3.

into the foam producing will be forced into through the openings 3 the material will be blown into bubbles which owing to their low specific weight will rise to the surface of the form of cohesive foam.

The intermittent air supply to the chamber 2 cooperates in the form the back flow of the air tion of bubbles as during some fresh material will be drawn into the cups 4. To prevent a too heavy back suction in the chamber the inlet 9 of the tube 6 has preferably a small cross section. When the inlet 9'has a very small cross section air may be accumulated in the chamber -2 so that even during the back stroke of the pumping device air may flow out through the openings 3 forming bubbles even when the pumping has been stopped. A foam cording to the inventio producing apparatus acn may be used in many cases, in many receptacles too small for receiving an ordinary stirring member and in case of small quantities of foam producing material.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the air supply tube 6 and the cap 1 are mounted in a rising pipe 10 in a bottle 11, the pipe 10 terminating above in a top member 12 with discharge nozzle 13 and top cover 14.- The tube 6 is led out through the top member 12 and connected by a hose 7 to a bulb 8. By s releasing the bulb 8 rising pipe 10 and above the liquid surfac uccessively squeezing and bubbles are produced in the an overpressure of air is set up e 15 in the bottle. The

rising pipe 10 has preferably inlet openings 16 for the material 17;

premure in the bottle 11 The the liquid in the pipe 10 bubbles will rise through and owing to the overbe quickly forced towards the top member 12 and the discharge nozzle 13. A sponge 18, or the like arranged in the top member will cause a resistance against the rising liquid so as to compress and subdivide the bubbles thereby varying the consistency of the foam, since the consistency of the foam will depend on density of the sponge.

tion of the pipe 10 and the Between the upper porthe neck 19 of the bottle By the air flow 11 a packing 20 is inserted for tightening purposes. With such an apparatus a slight overpressure. will constantly prevail in the'bottle 11, owing to the resistance of the sponge 18 filled up with foam and partly with liquid, foam of desired consistency may at any time be produced almost momentarily and caused to pass through the nozzle 13 by operating the ball or bulb 8.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the rising pipe 10 is integral with a receptacle cup 22 mounted above a glass 21 and along the bottom of which the air supply tube 6 is arranged. By this arrangement foam may be forced into the cup 22 ready for use, for instance for shaving purpose. A sponge similar to the sponge 18, Figure 2, may be placed in the rising pipe.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 a small air pump 23 with push button 24 is arranged in the top member 12, and from this pump the air supply tube 6 is carried down through the rising pipe 10 formed integral with a bottom 25 in the top member 12. A bottle 11 may be threaded into the lower portion 26 of the top member 12 and is then arranged in a similar manner as with the form of invention shown in Fig. 2. The way of operation is the same with these two modifications. The top member 12 is in Fig. 4 arranged on a plate 27 for mounting on a wall. As shown in Fig. 2 provision may be made of a frame 28 mounted on a wall or the like for supporting the bottle 11.

The foam producing apparatus may be otherwise constructed without departing from the scope of invention.

We claim:

1. A foam producing apparatus comprising a relatively large container enclosing the medium to be transformed into foam, an air pressure conduit extending thereinto, a relatively small'distributing member within the container and communicating with the air pressure conduit, the said distributing member being provided with relatively narrow air discharge openings, a delivery pipe enclosing the distributing member and opening outside the container and adapted to discharge the foam generated therein.

2. A foam producing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air discharge openings in the distributing member have at the inner surface of the wall of the latter a small cross sectional area and widen outwards into cup shaped portions for receiving small quantities of the medium to be transformed into foam.

3. A foam producing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distributing member and its air supply pipe are arranged co-axially with the part of the delivery pipe enclosed by the container.

4. A foam producing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided in the delivery pipe close to its upper opening for regulating the consistency of the foam.

JENS KARL MEHLSEN. ADSER CHRISTIAN NIELSEN. 

